Digital
Anime Feature Coming to U.S. Shores(edited press release) Manga Entertainment announces today
the release of Japan's first fully digitally-animated feature
film Blood: The Last Vampire for theatrical and DVD release
this summer and fall. Produced by the visionary animators at Japan's
Production IG Studios (Ghost in the Shell), audiences will also
have the opportunity to see the film 'digitally projected' when
Blood: The Last Vampire headlines this year's RESFEST,
the international digital film festival touring the U.S. this
fall.

While the
character designs and backgrounds were created using traditional
drawing techniques, these elements were painted, compiled and
filmed using computer technology. The process was enhanced by
the inclusion of digital lighting effects and revolutionary computer
generated models, plus a variety of innovative camera techniques.

The film's
musical score and sound effects were mixed in Hollywood, CA. In
addition, Blood: The Last Vampire features a number of
American characters with more than ninety percent of the film's
dialogue written and spoken in the English language. The leading
role of Saya is voice acted by Youki Kodoh (Snow Falling on
Cedars).

Manga Entertainment
has captured this anime feature on DVD and enhanced the release
with special features such as: "The Making of Blood"
Documentary; Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround Sound, 16X9 Anamorphic
Digital Transfer, Image Gallery, Original Japanese Theatrical
Trailers, Web Links and DVD ROM content. The movie will be available
in retail stores August 28, 2001 for $25.00 (DVD) and $20.00 (VHS).

Blood:
The Last Vampire takes place in the fall of 1966. The Vietnam
War is underway and the U.S. military machine is being supplied
out of the Yokota Air Force Base -- a plot of U.S. land within
Japan. Within the compound, the atmosphere is charged with violent
intensity as F4 combat planes take off hastily one after the next.
Meanwhile, a series of suspicious suicides are reported in town.

Akira Hits
#1 in Sales(by digitalmediafx.com) According to Sound Scan, a video industry
analyst group, Pioneer Entertainment's Akira is the number-one
selling DVD for the week of July 29, 2001. First released in 1989,
Akira was restored by Pioneer Entertainment at a cast of
$1 million for the release on home video and DVD on July 24. Akira's
sales beat out recent theatrical films Family Man and Sweet
November starring Nicolas Cage and Keanu Reeves, demonstrating
the popularity of this cult classic.

Available
for $39.98 as a Special
Edition DVD, $24.98 on standard
DVD (in Anamorphic Widescreen) and $19.98 on VHS (also
in Widescreen), Akira tells the dark tale of Neo-Tokyo,
a corrupted city that has risen from the ashes of World War III
to become a dangerous megalopolis infested with gangs and terrorists.
Childhood friends Tetsuo and Kaneda plunge into Neo-Tokyo's darkest
secret when their motorcycle gang encounters a military operation
to retrieve an escaped experimental subject.